Mailroom Palaver
by jackthepumpkin777
Summary: A short series of connected one-shots that involve a parcel that doesn't seem to be arriving anytime soon, stolen letter-openers, and a growing relationship between Amu and her mailbox buddy, Ikuto.
1. Part 1

**Mailroom Palaver**

**Part 1**

It wasn't exactly a surprise for Amu to find that her parcel still had not arrived yet.

It wasn't as if she had been waiting nearly two weeks for it, mad-dashing to her mailbox every single day at unreasonable hours in her night dress and bunny slippers. In her defense for such odd actions, it seemed to only occur to her at inconvenient hours of the night that she should check the mail. Now, normal people would check it either on their way out the door or after they came off work and were just re-entering the apartment building. But not Hinamori Amu, though, who unknowingly seemed to do everything against the norm.

Hanging her head low, the pink-haired girl of twenty years old begrudgingly stuffed her hand into the steel box marked with identical numbers to the ones drilled on her apartment door.

One stray envelope was stranded at the back corner of her box.

Pulling it out eagerly with her letter-opener at the ready, the happiness in Amu's excited gaze deflated, leaving her with a miserable frown and a self-pitying sigh. It was her electricity bill - not exactly something worth getting excited over.

"Did it come yet?" The low voice slid like silk into the air and over to Amu, who instantly felt a rush of happiness at his arrival.

Glancing over her shoulder with a slight grimace, her amber eyes followed the new arrival as he smirked at her disappointed gaze, his fingers fiddling with the long strap of the shoulder bag that hung at his side.

His six-footed profile was lean but strong, with sharp features accented with ear-length, deep blue hair that seemed to defy gravity, odds and ends poking out every now and then. Not to mention his high cheek bones and beautiful eyes that seemed to just add to the mysterious aura that often lingered around him.

"Good evening, Ikuto," Amu greeted, dejected. Her gaze continued to dull as she shut her mailbox grumpily. "No, it seems like the stupid parcel won't be here until next Christmas."

She huffed another sigh and leaned her shoulder against the rows of metal boxes, blowing her pink bangs out of her eyes.

A twinge of amusement slipped into Ikuto's gaze as he stepped up to his own mailbox, twisting the key and letting it dangle as he pulled open the small door and pushed his black bag so it was resting on the back of his leg.

Amu's attention caught on the bag as he shifted it. It was adorned with pins of different band names, sayings, and small pictures. She had asked him about it once and he revealed that they were from different trips he had been on from around the world. Apparently being a musician had it's perks.

"So, it's a Christmas present?"

The pinkette shot her eyes up to Ikuto, who seemed to be too wrapped up in his mail to notice she had been zoning out.

"Yeah, kind of," she admitted. It was actually a birthday present, but she was too tired to go into a huge discussion over it.

Keeping his gaze on the letters in his hand, he reached over to her with his other hand. Tangling his fingers in her own, he slid her letter-opener out of her grasp and began ripping his envelopes open with it.

They both ignored the shock of electricity that tingled on the tips of their fingers upon making contact.

Amu watched in defeat as Ikuto opened letter after letter. He always seemed to have millions of exciting messages to read, that jerk. Then again, being a relatively famous musician would do that for you. Especially if you were young and attractive like Ikuto. His fan base was unbelievable. Amu even had the displeasure of having to beat down an insane preteen from trying to slip into their security-coded apartment building. Ikuto had simply watched her struggle with a hand over his mouth to muffle his chuckles.

"You're so lucky," she complained miserably. Today was not her day. Not only was the stupid parcel not here, but she had burnt her banana pancakes, spilled coffee on her blouse right before work, and then broke a plate by dropping it on the kitchen floor- her dinner coating the tiles in the meantime. So not only was she starving, but she was also feeling a bit more dejected than she would have liked.

Holding an envelope between pearly teeth, Ikuto's blue eyes flickered up to her, peering through his hair at her.

"Why?"

Amu smiled briefly, rolling her eyes as she pried the letter from Ikuto's mouth so she could have a proper conversation with him.

"You get so many lovely letters and all I get are overdue notices and stupid bills."

Amu could tell by the way a small crease appeared in between his brows that he was taking this into thought. After shutting his letter box and slipping his mail into his bag, he readjusted the strap on his shoulder and shrugged before leaning against the mailboxes.

"You know what you need to do?"

The pinkette raised her eyebrows questioningly, "What?"

He leaned over, shaving off an extra foot of his height so he was closer to her level. Amu's cheeks flushed a pale pink at their proximity. She never truly got to look at his eyes, as he was nearly a foot taller than her. Now that they held each others gaze, she wasn't so sure she wanted to be at the same level as him all the time. His eyes seemed to dance around as if they were hiding a secret she probably would like to know.

With his hands carelessly in his pockets, he lowered his voice as if telling a secret and murmured, "You've got to start paying your bills."

Flashing a brief, mischievous smirk, Ikuto swiped his letter from Amu's hand and lightly flicked her nose with it. She wrinkled her nose in distaste before glaring up at him as he straightened up to his regular height.

"That's no help at all, wise one!" Amu growled with a folding of her arms across her pyjama-covered chest.

Sticking the letter back in between his teeth, Ikuto wiggled his eyebrows in response. He walked past her, ruffling her already messy hair in the meantime. She snarled and quickly attempted to plaster it down with the palm of her hands as he spoke again.

"Have a good sleep, kid."

"I'm not a kid!"

Slowly turning around, she watched Ikuto's retreating form with a reluctant upward quirk of the lips. He threw his keys up into the air, effortlessly catching them again before spinning the keyring around one long finger. He pushed open the door and disappeared up the staircase.

Sighing, Amu watched the staircase door close before glaring back at her mailbox. She snatched her own keys up and stomped off to the elevator.

**Author's Note: So this will be a short little fic with even shorter chapters that's meant to be taken as light and fluffy! Hope you enjoyed the introductory chapter!**


	2. Part 2

**Mailroom Palaver**

**Part 2  
**

The bright sunlight slipped in through the glass doors of the cafe. It filtered in through the windows and warmly filled up the tables and chairs. It was in the late afternoon and the sky was a brilliant sapphire, laced with fluffy clouds and cheerful birds. The brilliant emerald of the grass shone brightly, eager to boast its lovely green hue while the sun was still out. For the past month, there had been nothing but grey, dreary clouds hovering in the equally grey sky.

Although it was a much prettier day, the air still held a cold bite to it, promising the arrival of winter

Rima's natural curls dipped in front of her heart-shaped face as she leaned over her coffee, relinquishing in the spices and sweet scents that swirled out of it and into the air. After a stressful workday for both her and Amu, they had decided to relax with some coffee and each other's company.

"Tadase called me, by the way," Rima noted as casually as she could. She hid behind her coffee mug as she took another sip, her eyes watching Amu cautiously.

The pinkette sighed and, with a slight eye-roll, leaned her elbow against the table, her chin on her fist. "And what, pray tell, did the 'world's best boyfriend' say?"

A ghost of a smile graced Rima's features at Amu's lack-of-interest. She waited until the waiter had delivered Amu's drink and left before she continued.

"Just that…he'd appreciate if you stopped ignoring his texts and calls," The blond shrugged, uninterested. "He says he misses you and that you guys need to talk."

Amu couldn't help a sigh escape her lips as she stirred her drink around in frustration. She groaned in despair. "He's making this more difficult than it has to be. I clearly told him that he was too…sensitive for me. Too over-bearing and suffocating for me to handle," she explained. She suddenly let out a groan of frustration, about to pull out her hair, "I'm such a dirt bag!"

Rima shrugged, "I think telling him the truth was much better than leading him on and sticking around for longer than you did. This way he wasn't too devoted to you. He didn't have your face tattooed on his ass just yet, so, hey, I think you made the right choice."

Smiling gratefully, Amu nodded silently, unsure of how to continue the conversation. She wasn't ready yet to give Tadase a call, mainly because she didn't have the heart to tell him again that she couldn't handle his dependence on her. Sure, she was strong enough on her own, but when it came to being responsible for another person who basically needed to be cared for like a pet, she would rather not find herself in such a situation.

Clearly seeing the need for a subject change, Rima spoke up again, her voice taking on its naturally aloof tone.

"So, what's been happening in the life of Hinamori Amu?"

Quirking her eyebrows, Amu drummed her fingers along her chin in thought. Well, her building's electricity was the weakest in the city, her hamster was lying dead in its cage, and Ikuto still had her-.

Eyes widening, she flipped her gaze over to Rima. "After waiting for like a week, just to see if having patience would finally make my parcel come, I checked the mail today and realized that Ikuto still has my letter-opener, so I-"

"Who's Ikuto?"

"A-a guy in my building," the pinkette waved off dismissively, hoping she sounded as indifferent as she hoped. The last thing she wanted was Rima poking around in something that probably wasn't going to go anywhere. "So, that means I had to open my mail with my hands, and you know what happened the last time I did that."

Yes, practically everyone recalled the events that occurred the last time Amu attempted to open up an envelope with her fingers. No one knew how she was able to do it, but blood coated her hand and she nearly fainted.

"But I opened it successfully and wrote a nasty note to Ikuto about how I was going to get my letter-opener back no matter what," Amu finished with a successful sigh, followed by a nod. She didn't bother mentioning the fact that her parcel still had not arrived. That thought was just a constant downer.

The petite blond across from her simply lifted an eyebrow at her, "How amazing."

"Thank you. I appreciate your enthusiasm," Amu replied, mimicking Rima's monotonous voice.

"You'd better. You're the only one who gets to experience the magic of it."

The comment made both girls smile.

It was after a few more coffees and a movie followed by dinner when Amu shuffled into her apartment building once again. It was nearly midnight and she was yawning enough for two other people.

She nearly passed by the mailroom, but stopped at the last minute to poke her head around the corner. Her droopy gaze sluggishly dragged across the nook. It was empty. The bareness of the room made her stomach drop ever-so slightly. She hadn't seen him in days. Believe it or not, it was difficult to get on through a work day without being able to replay their small arguments in her head, coming up with better comebacks than the ones she said in the heat of the moment.

Pulling her feet over to her mailbox, she dared to check it, just in case something arrived on a later schedule than the regular mail delivery.

She couldn't exactly say she was expecting anything to actually be there. But, low-and-behold, a small envelope lay, already opened, near the back of the metal box.

Feeling giddy and jumpy all of a sudden, Amu reached inside, pulled the envelope out and flipped it around to locate the writing.

_'Dearest Amu,_  
_Upon receiving your note, I have changed the location of my spare key so that you are unable to break into my apartment to retrieve what you hold so dear. I'm afraid I must hold onto it for a little longer. I've grown quite attached to it, actually. You may never see it again. However, I know how pissed that would make you, so I've left you something in the plant by the elevator. Use it well._  
_Sincerely,_  
_Tsukiyomi Ikuto._  
_P.S. If anything in your note scared me, it had to be your handwriting. It's horrendous.'_

Amu wasn't sure which emotion to act on first. A swirl of giddiness, frustration, indifference, and more giddiness flipped through her stomach. She bit back a smile as she clutched her keys in one hand, letting the fingers of her free hand roam across the penmanship that was surprisingly very elegant for a male. Then again, Ikuto always had a sort of graceful presence to him. He was able to slide around like silk without being detected.

Then there was Amu, who seemed to smash everything in sight before realizing she had gone the wrong way, resulting in her turning around and destroying everything in the other direction, too.

Biting down on her lip, she continued to smile to herself as she shut the small door of the mailbox. She tried not to walk too eagerly over to the elevator, where she frowned to herself and dug around in the fern for whatever Ikuto had placed there.

Finally, she spotted it. Though upon recognizing it, Amu's eyes narrowed as her gaze switched to one that clearly showed just how unimpressed she was.

With pursed lips, she pulled out a white coffee mug with bold, colorful writing on it saying, 'Happy 80th, Grandpa!'

A vein nearly burst in her forehead. Mark her words, she would get her revenge.


	3. Part 3

**Mailroom Palaver**

**Part 3  
**

Amu was just exiting the apartment building's shared laundry room when the power went off.

Sputtering out a few members of her colorful vocabulary, the pinkette stayed in the comforting, dull glow of the weak emergency lights that barely lit up the space two feet in front of her. She felt along the wall while maneuvering towards the lobby, knowing full well that she could navigate her way to the staircase from that point on.

Her original plan was to run down to the laundry room, throw her clothes in, then run back up to her room. She was forced to wear her summer pajamas, as all her winter ones were currently in the dryer, which probably wasn't even working anymore due to the power outage.

Stepping into the lobby, the frigid wind was loud against the doors, rattling the glass and smashing against the brick walls. Ice rain pelted against the glass and thunder rumbled lowly from the clouds.

A rush of excitement trickled down Amu's spine as another roar of thunder shook the heavens.

She had completely forgotten she had been standing in the clear moonlight of the lobby in nothing but inappropriate booty shorts and a tank top. That is, until a smooth voice slid through the air.

"Never seen _this_ before," he commented lowly.

Amu whirled around.

Ikuto was in the mailroom, clearly visible to the pinkette as he stood at the outgoing post-box, glancing up at her from the envelope in his hand.

Her cheeks colored a deep red at seeing him standing there so casually, as if this kind of behavior from her didn't even faze him anymore.

"Is this a new fashion choice of yours?" he asked casually as she gingerly stepped over to him, hiding behind the wall and peering around it to look at him. "I must say, it suits you." His eyes danced mischievously as they made eye-contact.

Amu only blushed deeper, though she wasn't quite sure why.

Before any words could roll off her tongue, she nearly jumped out of her skin at the sensation of something fluffy that slithered and twisted around her leg. She let out a small shriek of surprise and jerked away, almost tripping over her feet in the meantime.

Her eyes widened once realizing a small kitten sat on the floor, gazing wide-eyed up at her.

"Holy crap, it's a cat," Amu breathed, stroking the kitten's ears as she lowered herself to the floor.

"His name is Yoru."

The pinkette cooed happily while brushing a finger softly down the feline's silky, black fur. Yoru's paws were a soft white - a stark contrast to the dark coat he sported everywhere else on his body.

"He's so cute!" Amu gushed happily, brushing her nose against Yoru's whiskers. "Did you just get back from the vet?"

"Yeah…that little thing is burning a hole in my pocket," he uttered.

She grinned darkly and pat the cat proudly on the head. "Good job, Yoru," she approved happily, pretending not to notice Ikuto glare at her.

The pinkette sighed sadly while rising to her feet with Yoru stretching out in her arms. "I had always wanted a cat but the expenses kept scaring me away." She wandered over to stand beside Ikuto at the counter, where he was leaning over an envelope, fluidly writing an address down.

"You can have _him_, he's a lazy fat-ass," Ikuto shrugged.

Amu shoved his shoulder playfully, "You're horrible!"

Despite the negative words he threw at Yoru, Amu could tell he really did care for his cat. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense for Ikuto to be a cat person. He always kept to himself and was naturally a bit anti-social. A cat was the perfect addition to his mysterious personality.

"I have to go out of town for a few days, I leave on Wednesday," Ikuto began. "If you wanted, you could baby-sit the fatty." He nodded in Yoru's direction, who appeared to be falling asleep, seemingly too lazy to be anywhere but Amu's arms.

The pinkette's eyes widened in excitement as a grin broke out on her face. "R-really, are you sure?" she asked eagerly.

Ikuto chuckled at her reaction and set his violin case on the floor beside him. He rolled his sore shoulder back and shrugged, "Yeah, if you wanted to."

Without giving it a second thought, Amu reached over and gave Ikuto a one-armed hug, not letting her hand linger on his back muscles too long before quickly pulling away. She distracted herself with petting Yoru in hopes of holding down a blush. It was the first real physical contact she and Ikuto had had.

But she was then reminded of what she was wearing and instantly felt like disappearing.

Thoughts flew by her mind in a wave of colors, ripples, and streams as she searched for a new topic to bring up so she wasn't forced to drown in the reminder that she was hardly dressed for a midnight conversation.

Taking Yoru with her, she hurried back behind the thin wall that separated the mailroom from the lobby.

"Thanks for the mug," she uttered reluctantly while peering around the wall. She still hadn't come up with a form of revenge for such an insulting object, though she doubted she would be able to do anything without it backfiring, anyways. He always managed to outsmart her.

Ikuto glanced up through his unruly hair, confusion temporarily crossing his features. Amu tried to act like her insides didn't start squirming at his confused expression. The small crease appeared again between his eyebrows as his eyes darkened in thought.

The crease disappeared as his eyes flashed in recognition, a small, almost bashful smile pulling his lips upwards as he looked back down at the letter he was sending. "Oh, right."

Amu easily would have chewed his ear off with threats and insults, except that his smile was so dang cute. Instead, she smiled to herself and glanced down at Yoru, who was happily purring against her arms.

"Just be happy I went grocery shopping after getting your note, that way I could actually pick something up for you," Ikuto spoke up again. He glanced over at her, his pen tucked between his teeth, "Otherwise you would have been stuck with a pet pine-cone from the front garden." He finished writing on his envelope before sticking a stamp in the corner.

Amu watched with a silent, raised eyebrow as he slipped it into the slot belonging to outgoing mail.

"Pet pine-cone?" she repeated.

"Yup," Ikuto replied easily as he reached for his violin case on the floor beside him and the plastic bag next to it, which proudly displayed the name of the Chinese takeout down the street. "You would probably name it Larry."

"Would not."

"Or princess Ophelia."

"That's a horrible name, Ikuto!" Amu scoffed stubbornly, getting a light chuckle from the boy.

Ikuto walked over to the wall that separated his vision from seeing her scantily-clad body. Leaning against it, he peered down at Amu, who became very aware of how close he was standing. They held each others gaze for a while, golden mixing and tangling with blue, until Amu finally sighed and diverted her eyes before she'd start stuttering and making a fool of herself.

She then just noticed that he was holding out his hand. In his palm was her letter-opener, which she took back instantly.

"You butt wipe," she uttered. "You've kept it for almost two weeks."

Ikuto smirked and bent down to speak lowly into Amu's ear, his breath tickling her neck. "Maybe I kept it just to have a reason to talk to you," he said flirtatiously, which Amu brushed aside with another insult, despite the warmth that flooded to her cheeks.

He scooped Yoru up before he began walking towards the door of the staircase. He paused with his hand on the doorknob and turned around. "Why are you prancing around naked, anyway?"

"I'm not naked!" Amu exclaimed with a quick flail of her arms. "I was doing laundry when the power went out. These are basically the only clean pajamas I have," she admitted.

Nodding, Ikuto hummed once to show he understood.

Their conversation was broken up as the doors to the apartment building swung open and in walked a group of rambunctious young adults. In their hands were bags that boldly announced the nearby liquor store's name. It was a weekend, after all. There was bound to be some partying going on.

However, this did nothing to calm Amu's nerves as she stood out in the open. Four guys were in the group, all of them barking out laughter and swearing like truckers.

Eyes wide and heart thumping loudly in her ears, Amu seemed frozen to the spot. She knew she really had no reason to panic, but being the paranoid girl she was, she was about ready to call the police and send a killer dog on the group.

"Amu," Ikuto's voice slowly brought her attention back over to him. "Come join us for Chinese."

The door to the staircase had already been opened. He nodded his head over his shoulder, gesturing for her to come up with him.

Sticking around to hang out with the party-goers or escaping under Ikuto's protection was a decision easily made. Sure, Ikuto managed to slip in perverse comments in every one of their conversations, but he would never do anything to truly hurt her.

Her feet pattered against the cold, stone floor as she rushed over to Ikuto. She ducked under the arm that held the door open. She passed by him and already started up the stairs, leaving him to chuckle as he pulled the door closed and followed after her.


	4. Part 4

**Mailroom Palaver**

**Part 4  
**

After paying for the pizza, Amu shut the door behind her and wandered through the lobby with the steaming boxes seeping warmth into her hands.

Tonight was a movie night with Rima and Nadeshiko, and Amu was far overdue for a girl's night in. With romantic comedies, tragic romances, and now pizza, the three girls were more than ready to have a night to themselves. And with Yoru, of course.

Before she could forget, Amu quickly checked her mail. Still no parcel. It was about time she gave the company a call and tore their ear off with complaints. December was in one week. To say Amu was panicking would be the understatement of the year.

But, she noted to her delightful surprise, she did have a letter for her that wasn't a bill that needed paying. Her name was written on the front with elegant curves, giving her stomach a jolting flip as she realized who it must have been from.

She waited until she was in her apartment before opening it.

Setting the pizzas down onto the small dining table, Rima and Nadeshiko instantly started setting out cups and plates while Yoru purred loudly and brushed up against Amu's legs. She bent down and scooped him up, taking him with her to fetch the letter-opener from her purse.

"Amu, which movie did you want to watch first?" Nadeshiko's soft voice asked from the other room.

Amu slowly sunk down onto her bed as she slid the letter out of its envelope.

"Uh- doesn't matter," she called back, only half paying attention.

Yoru settled in her lap, curling up tightly as the pinkette unfolded the paper, a grin playing at the edges of her lips.

_'Amu,_  
_I can only imagine how lost you are without our strange meetings at the mailboxes. I hope you've found some other friends to speak with while I'm away. I know you're a bit rough around the edges, but I'm sure you're capable of speaking to other people who aren't me._  
_Has the fatty eaten everything in your fridge yet? I hope he choked on at least one fur ball while staying at your place. He grooms himself far too often to be normal, so he kind of had it coming to him._  
_Don't be too sad without me. When I get home I'd be more than willing to make up for the time I've spent away…doing anything you want-'_

Amu scoffed, tearing her eyes away from the words as she flushed a deep red.

_'Things like…Monopoly._  
_Perverted kid._  
_I'll be home Monday night. If you've got any problems you can just toss Yoru out onto the street. I'm sure he'll smarten up and beg for forgiveness after realizing he'd have to get his own food instead of laze around like a lard._  
_I know you're always disappointed with your lack of friendly letters in your mailbox, so I hope this suits your tastes and brings a little light to your day- or, night, most likely, since you'll be checking your mail once the sun's out of sight._  
_I'll see you Monday. Until then, expect to receive more letters coming your way to make up for my physical absence.  
Thanks for taking care of Yoru. Though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of him._  
_-Ikuto'_

Eyes shining and cheeks hurting from smiling so much, Amu let out a happy sigh. She bit down on her lip to keep from grinning too widely as she pressed the letter to her chest. Her heart thumped loudly in her ribcage, vibrating through the letter and into her hands. Just what was she getting herself into? Nothing, she answered herself confidently, ignoring the nagging in the back of her mind that called herself a liar.

Yoru's nose nudging her wrist pulled her back to present day. Setting the letter onto her nightstand, she stood up with the kitten and took one more glance over her shoulder at the envelope before shutting off the light.

She'd write him back later.

**Author's Note: DON'T KILL ME. I know this doesn't take up from the last chapter, which a few of you were looking forward to, but I didn't want them getting too close too fast. There should be only 3 more chapters to come. Until then, I hope you enjoyed! Though it was a pretty short chapter..I'm sorry.**


	5. Part 5

**Mailroom Palaver**

**Part 5  
**

Lounging in sweatpants and a spaghetti strap top seemed to be the only way to go on a late-afternoon like this.

Frosty wind rippled against the windows of Amu's apartment. The glass panes trembled loudly and the lights flickered.

Meanwhile, Amu sat curled up with Yoru purring against her chest. Both of them were sound asleep on the couch, a light blanket draped over the pinkette's legs. The gas fireplace in front of them heaved and hurled out warmth as the hot flames danced around each other. Her curtains were shut to keep the dull sunlight out, making the fire the only source of light which soaked the room in the soft bubble of orange glow.

Resting on the side table by the couch was a pile of scattered letters, all previously opened, baring Amu's handwritten name on the front.

She and Ikuto had decided to continue sending letters to one-another after his first letter to her. Although they had known enough about each other already, it seemed that being pen-pals had opened up a completely different door into each others lives. It made Amu even more eager to slide down the hallway to the mailroom, no longer worrying too much about the parcel. Her attention was mainly taken up by a certain blue-haired male with a cheeky smirk.

She had just finished reading the letter that arrived that day when she had fallen asleep with Yoru.

Ikuto was due home that night and Amu was determined to stay awake to see him as soon as he walked in the door. That idea didn't seem to go according to plan as she lay tucked into the couch cushions with a small snore escaping every now and then. Yoru snuggled closer to her, purring loudly in content.

Amu had mentioned in one of her letters to Ikuto that she had left a spare key under her doormat so that if he returned during the day when Amu was at work, he could easily walk in and claim his cat.

She made sure to hide her letter-opener.

It came across as a surprise to find her asleep on the couch when he walked in after realizing she wasn't going to answer the door anytime soon. Quietly tucking the spare key into his pocket, Ikuto silently moved across the living room.

Seeing how happily asleep they were made him momentarily wonder if he really wanted to disturb them. Then again, he'd be missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime to annoy her and he didn't take advantage of the situation.

"Amu," he spoke loudly, obnoxiously rubbing his palm against her nose and across her forehead and then into her hair, making a tangled mess of it.

She groaned and scrunched up her nose, eyes struggling to open. He poked his foot into her face, which made her flail her arms and turn to glare at him, her eyes heavy and hardly registering anything.

"What the crap, Ikuto?" her groggy voice crept into the air just as sluggishly as she appeared.

"You got any milk?"

Her lids were half-open, her mouth pursed tightly as she glared at him with all her might. Yoru shifted against her chest, reminding her not to make any sudden movements, even if it held her back from taking a lamp to Ikuto's head.

She was about ready to slap some mayonnaise and cheese onto a piece of bread then smear it against his violin and tell him she made him a sandwich.

"Why…did you have to wake me up to ask for milk?" She asked slowly, restrained.

Ikuto tried not to laugh at how frustrated she sounded. He decided now wouldn't be the right time to tell her that he mainly just wanted to annoy her.

Her eyes closed as she rubbed her forehead and yawned. Knowing her luck, she would be awake for the rest of the night.

Heaving a sigh, the pinkette crawled over Yoru and dragged her feet into the kitchen. Ikuto plucked up his lazy cat and followed after the grumpy girl, pretending not to notice that the coffee mug he gave her was resting in the sink, ready to be washed. He had half expected her to chuck it in the garbage.

Throwing open the fridge door, Amu gritted her teeth and handed Ikuto the milk.

"Oh, so that's where you keep it," he spoke as if it was the most interesting discovery in the world, holding it up in the dull light that seeped into the kitchen from the fireplace.

Amu simply glared at him.

Before she could reach for a frying pan or even start threatening him, he was out the door with Yoru and the remainder of her milk.

"I hate you," Amu whispered to herself with a scowl before rolling herself back onto the couch to resume her sleep.

**Author's Note: *Hiding from rotten tomatoes that will be thrown at me* I KNOW IT'S ANOTHER SHORT CHAPTER. I'M SORRY. But this one was to establish that they still have this teasing relationship where they constantly try to get on each others nerves. The next chapter will be much longer, I promise. Now I know for sure that there will be 3 chapters after this one. I'm not adding on any more, so do not fear! It should reach its end soon. **


	6. Part 6

**Mailroom Palaver**

**Part 6**

The package had arrived.

Amu had gotten to the point where she was nearly convinced that an ulcer was developing in her stomach. Soon her grey hair would be coming in and worry wrinkles would coat her face in places she didn't know wrinkles could exist.

All that washed away once her eyes settled on the small, rectangular box that had finally been delivered.

She gave out a squeal of happiness as she bounced up and down, her cheeks flushing in excitement while her heart thumped against her ribcage.

It had finally arrived, and two days before December, too!

Once dashing back into her apartment, she ripped open the box, watching the pencil-length object encased in a rectangular container flop out.

Grinning, the pinkette dug into the hallway closet for the birthday wrapping paper.

She could hardly contain her excitement as she stuck the bright blue bow on top of the freshly wrapped box that easily fit in both her hands. If she mailed it out by the end of the day, it could easily make it to its destination by December 1st, she figured nervously. If not, then it would just have to be late. She really didn't understand why she was mailing it in the first place, as the gift was for Ikuto.

A part of her just figured that having him get it in the mail would be a little more unsuspected as opposed to her handing it to him in person.

She was on an emotional high for the majority of the day, until a call from her ex-boyfriend broke that trance.

Amu sighed deeply as his name lit up on her phone. She sat at the table, finishing up a letter to her grandma when he called. Her first reaction was to chuck the phone against the wall then drown herself, but, with her teeth gritted, she reached over and pressed 'ignore'.

It's not that she had a problem speaking with him, because she really didn't. The only issue was that he still wasn't over her and having a conversation with him wouldn't exactly help get rid of his lingering feelings. Plus, beginning to converse again would result in a friendship, which would spark hope inside Tadase that their relationship could move on to dating again.

At these thoughts, Amu was able to convince herself that avoiding him was the best choice. She turned back to her letter, picking up her pen once more.

By the time she had finished writing it the sun was setting and her back was in need of a good cracking.

She peered around her apartment, a rush of sadness tingling her insides. Ikuto had returned the other day and took Yoru home. Her home felt so empty without the lazy fur ball rolling through the hallways.

Yawning, Amu glanced out the window, then to the time, deciding she'd drag herself back down to the mailroom to send off her letter.

She exited the elevator and hummed quietly to herself as she wandered over to the mailroom. Her grandma's letter was clutched in one hand, her letter-opener in the other, and Ikuto's present was tucked in the back pocket of her jeans. Only half of the box fit in her pocket, so she pulled her shirt lower to cover the half that was sticking out.

She wasn't too sure why she brought the opener with her, but Ikuto always seemed to need it, so it was almost a habit to take it with her whenever she went to get the mail.

Her stomach flipped happily once entering the nook.

Ikuto's back was towards her, his black, button-up shirt and dark jeans proudly showing off his physique. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows as he leaned against the counter, writing something down on an envelope. His black violin case lay on the floor at his shoes.

Amu silently crept up behind him and stood on her tip-toes so she could reach her hands around him and cover his eyes, her stomach nearly resting on his back.

"Oh, which midget would feel the need to cover my eyes?" He wondered aloud in an obvious teasing tone.

Dropping her hands from his eyes, Amu swatted the back of his head before moving to stand at the counter beside him. She set her letter on the ledge in front of her and reached across Ikuto's front to borrow one of his stamps.

The lights above them flickered.

"Do you know when they're going to fix the electricity problem?" she asked grumpily.

Ikuto rested a hand on her lower back as he maneuvered behind her to take a stamp off the sheet she took from him. "I wouldn't be surprised if they don't even realize it's a problem," he responded lightly, returning to his previous stance.

His hand gently lifted from her back and Amu swore the goose bumps on her arms were a result of the cold air and nothing else.

They both leaned over the counter, busying themselves with the finishing touches on their letters. Their arms brushed on multiple occasions, though neither of them made a move to put space between them.

It wasn't long before a set of footsteps fumbled down the hallway, joining them in the mailroom in no time at all.

"O-oh, good evening, Hinamori-san!" Seiichiro greeted with an admiring smile and a nervous hitch in his voice. "And Tsukiyomi-san."

Seiichiro having a major crush on Amu was no secret between the residents of the apartment building.

As the new arrival rummaged through his mailbox, rambling on about how the electricity was on the fritz again, Amu and Ikuto shared a secret smile. They seemed to lean in closer to each other to lower their voices for only their ears to hear.

"He's a charmer," Ikuto murmured with a wink.

Once realizing what he was encouraging, Amu blushed as her eyes widened in alarm, "N-no way!"

"Why not?"

She rolled her eyes but smiled, nonetheless. "I've already had my fill of overly-sensitive boyfriends, but thanks anyway."

This seemed to pique Ikuto's interest as he arched an eyebrow and bumped his shoulder against hers, "Ah, yes, and how is dear Tadase these days?"

She tried not to shoot daggers at him, "He's as clingy as ever."

"I thought you guys broke up."

"We did."

Ikuto hummed as a sly smirk grew on his face, nodding once to show he understood what her situation was. It made Amu frown. He had never mentioned having a girlfriend and she didn't think he was gay. She knew so much about him yet at the same time he was a complete mystery.

Seiichiro seemed to finish checking his mail and bid them farewell, sneaking another shy smile at Amu before he hurried off, clearly trying to hide the deep blush that was quickly spreading across his cheeks.

The pinkette laughed softly at his cuteness. She shook her head, smiling to herself as she turned to make her way over to the outgoing postbox. She stopped walking once recognizing the figure at the door.

Instantly leaping to hide behind Ikuto, Amu's wide-eyed gaze peered over his shoulder, watching the blond-haired boy press a few numbers on the intercom outside the front doors.

Ikuto pretended not to notice Amu's odd behavior. However, once she grabbed onto the back of his shirt and turned him so that he was facing the doorway, keeping her out of view, he forced himself not to laugh after recognizing the blond visitor.

"Why is Tadase here?" he asked coyly, tilting his head back and to the side so he could peer over his shoulder at her.

Amu shook her head quickly, fists still tightly gripping his shirt, "I don't know! He called me earlier but I didn't pick up." Her honey-colored eyes were wide as she peered around Ikuto once again.

Tadase must have been dialing the numbers to her apartment, as he seemed to not be getting an answer. He continued to press buttons, his ruby-red eyes glancing into the lobby.

Plastering herself to the wall that enclosed the mailroom, the pinkette gripped her grandma's letter tightly in one hand with half her mind focused on the small gift in her back pocket.

"Ikuto, could you go…sh-shoo him away?" She asked in a loud whisper.

Ikuto arched a brow, depositing his letter into the outgoing mailbox.

"I don't know the guy."

"Doesn't matter! Just…toss him into the garden."

"…Right."

"Ikuto!" Amu pleaded, her eyes wide in desperation.

Their gazes met- Ikuto's unimpressed one mixing with her worried one.

Finally, he sighed, nudged his violin case closer to her, and started walking towards the door. "You owe me."

While the two boys were conversing at volumes too low for Amu to hear, she slowly crawled over to the outgoing mail box and deposited her grandmother's letter along with Ikuto's birthday gift. A surge of excitement flipped through her stomach as she bit back a smile. It was a silly gift, but a part of her hoped it would remind him of how they first met.

The pinkette smiled softly at the memory and heard the lobby door close, bringing her back to her previous panicking state.

Ikuto rounded the corner into the mailroom with a noticeable smile tugging at his lips.

After sending a suspicious look his way, Amu peered around the wall to see Tadase no longer there.

"Wh-what did you say?" she asked quickly, her eyes wide as she jumped up to her feet.

Reaching down to gather up his violin, Ikuto slung the strap around his shoulder and made his way towards the staircase, the same sneaky smile on his face.

"You'll never know."


	7. Part 7

**Mailroom Palaver**

**Part 7**

_Amu had been fumbling through her purse when she first met him._

_After another argument with her boyfriend, she was more than ready for bed. Perhaps a good, long bath beforehand, too._

_Wiping all traces of Tadase from her mind, she set her thoughts on the task at hand: getting her mail. She frowned. In order to get her mail, she just had to find her dang letter-opener._

_Shutting the glass doors behind her, she glanced up to make sure she wouldn't trip._

_Her gaze caught on the back of that blue-haired guy who always seemed to check his mail at odd hours, like herself._

_The pinkette's attention turned back down to her purse to continue the search for that opener-of-envelopes._

_Just when her fingers wrapped around it, her heart plummeted to the floor at the dropping sensation of her foot tripping over the other._

_Feet scrambling out from under her, Amu groaned as her chin hit the tiled floor. She watched as her letter-opener tumbled out of her grasp and across the tiles, rolling to a stop at the black shoes of the blue-haired stranger._

_Amu watched from her spot on the floor as the handsome stranger bent down. A fair hand reached out and plucked it up, expertly twirling it around slender fingers as he rose back up to his feet._

_Amu's honey-colored gaze dragged up the long-limbed body, stopping on the pleasant face of the boy. His strong features were accented with a prominent jaw line, sharp nose, and firm cheekbones. Not to mention the brilliant blue his eyes were.  
_

_She scrambled to her feet upon realizing she had been staring. They met halfway, Amu a blushing, embarrassed mess once they came face-to-face._

_"You might want to be careful with that," mystery boy teased with an upward quirk of the lips._

_Amu was about to provide a response as she reached out and took back her letter-opener, but a mischievous wink from her mailroom buddy erased all words from her mind._

And now, in present day, Amu found herself standing in his apartment to return his cat's plush bear.

Ikuto called out from his music room at the end of the hallway.

Gripping Yoru's bear tightly, Amu silently admired how much nicer his apartment was compared to hers. Not only were his floors hardwood but he even had an extra room which he used to store all his musical instruments.

Then there was herself, who was stuck in a hamster-cage apartment. Heck, it was worse than a hamster cage. She didn't even have a wheel to run around on.

She poked her head into the spare-bedroom-turned-music-room and, with wide eyes, had to hold back a proclamation of how she was moving in whether he agreed to it or not.

The room was extravagant. Old records and posters of musicians painted the walls. Two large desks sat on opposite ends of the room with sheets of music neatly stacked in thick piles while a keyboard rested against one wall with a guitar leaning against it.

Ikuto's violin was placed on the floor in its case beside the desk he was currently sitting at.

Amu's eyes dragged from one desk to the other, her expression coated with disbelief. The boy wrote too much music.

The blue-eyed boy glanced over his shoulder at her, "What's up, Amu?"

He turned back to look at his music sheet, seeming to be on a roll with creating his latest musical piece.

Although he couldn't see her, Amu waved Yoru's stuffed bear. "Found this under my bed," she answered and leaned down to scoop up Yoru.

The cat eagerly nipped at his toy bear and bat at it with his paws.

Amu stroked the cat affectionately and wandered over to where Ikuto sat. She peered over his shoulder. What caught her gaze wasn't so much his latest piece of music but more so the piece of toast in his hand.

With an evil grin and a swift movement, she reached over his shoulder and plucked the toast out of his fingers.

Ikuto made a noise of dissent. He shot her a frowning look of annoyance and watched her take a bite of his perfectly buttered toast.

After she was content with making him suffer, she easily slipped it back into his hand and scuffed her hand through his blue locks, leaving them a tangled mess that defied gravity even more than usual.

Ikuto muttered a small, reluctant thanks before he dejectedly resumed eating his late-night snack.

"You're a butt," he uttered grumpily.

With a triumphant smile, Amu ignored his sour remark and proceeded to scan through his music. She made her way over to his other desk, rubbing her nose affectionately against Yoru's fur in the meantime. She flipped through the multiple scatters of paper with Yoru purring happily in her arms.

"Crap, Ikuto, you composed all this?"

Her tone of voice failed to conceal how impressed she was. With wide, curious eyes she ran her fingers gently along the well-used sheets of paper. Her fingers paused on one sheet music entitled, 'Honey.'

Amu was about to call Ikuto out for having just discovered his favorite food, but as her eyes wandered across the page, she realized that it wasn't the food he had written about, but a girl.

A girl with bubbling laughter and a bright smile. A girl who never lost faith no matter what troubles were thrown her way. Who trusted far too easily and wore her heart on her sleeve. Who came alive at odd hours of the night and never failed to make others smile despite what mood they were in. A girl with eyes like honey.

Amu slowly turned to look at Ikuto, who was still busying himself with the paper in front of him. She watched his beautiful eyes flicker across the page, half-hidden beneath long eyelashes. The crease had appeared between his eyebrows and the corner of his lips was turned downwards. She watched in silence as he lifted his pen and slowly thumped it against the long, thin bridge of his nose before quickly bringing it back down to the page.

'A girl who came alive at odd hours of the night,' Amu re-read. The sentence troubled her. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, there was a tugging at her heart, making her want to believe that he had written this song about her. After all, she did happen to be in the mail room or laundry room at weird times in the evening.

But had Ikuto really been paying attention to her habits? Was she the reason he, too, checked his mail at nighttime?

She frowned and dared to use the voice she was sure she had lost.

"I-Ikuto, can I ask you something?"

He had leaned back in his chair to look at his work from afar. He still hadn't noticed the song she had found.

"Let me guess…you want to know how I got so attractive."

Amu rolled her eyes, "Nope, pretty sure that's not it."

"One day you'll ask," he promised slyly.

Yoru snuffled into the crease of her elbow, bringing feeling back into her limbs. Her heart seemed about to burst. Blushing a dusty pink, Amu swallowed once and spoke again.

"Why do you check your mail…at odd hours of the night..?" She asked, unsure, after her honey-colored eyes flickered across that line again.

The words seemed familiar to Ikuto, as well, as he turned around to look at her with a blank face.

She watched as his eyes paused on the paper in her hand. After a beat, the blue orbs slowly moved up to meet hers and Amu felt her heartbeat grow louder in her ears. She found she couldn't move, even if she wanted to.

Finally, Ikuto spoke, but didn't remove his gaze.

"Because that's when I get to see you."

The sincerity in his voice made her blush deepen as her lips parted to allow more air into her lungs, as her nose seemed to stop working.

Seeming frustrated with the lack of attention he was getting, Yoru whined loudly and dropped from Amu's arms, bringing her back to reality.

She tore her gaze away and set the paper back onto the desk. Staring sideways, she refused to make eye-contact, feeling her painfully obvious blush continue to grow at the reality of the situation: Ikuto liked her and she hadn't even noticed the signs.

"Wh-when? For… how long?" her voice was soft, shy.

Ikuto breathed out a chuckle and dangled his pen over his sheet of paper, watching it swing back and forth. "I don't know, Amu. …Probably since the first time I picked up your letter-opener."

It always came back to that dang letter-opener, didn't it?

Amu smiled softly at the realization. Setting the stuffed bear onto the desk, she awkwardly swung her arms back and forth before clearing her throat. It was then she realized she was probably expected to give an answer.

Heart thumping against her ribcage, words tumbled out of her mouth without her being able to stop them.

"Well, I've left my dinner to cook so I should probably make sure my apartment isn't being burned down."

She left the apartment as quick as she could without it being too obvious.

That was not how she planned for things to go down. At least she hoped to have been able to voice to him how she felt, too.

Stepping into the elevator, she gave out a horrified groan and dragged her hands down her face, wishing she could peel off her skin. Leaning back against the elevator wall, Amu cringed, then groaned, then scowled at herself.

She needed to give Rima a call.


	8. Finale

**(While writing this chapter I had 'Dance With Me Tonight' by Olly Murs on repeat. Go forth and listen!)  
**

**Mailroom Palaver**

**Finale  
**

"And you just…ran away?"

Rima watched Amu scramble about her kitchen in a frenzy. She appeared to be completely buzzed on coffee. Rima wouldn't be surprised if Amu admitted to not sleeping at all the night before.

The pinkette looked up from the plate she was washing. Grimacing, she replied, "I didn't know what else to do!"

Rima shrugged. She slowly resumed stirring her coffee, glancing up to watch her friend with a cautious gaze. "At least he didn't go into great detail about all the things he loves about you. That would have been awkward to try and get out of," she offered.

It did little to calm her nerves, but Amu gave a meek, silent nod in response.

Realizing Amu was too traumatized to carry on a conversation, Rima spoke again, sending her a sly smile.

"So…how do you plan to tell him how _you_ feel?"

This seemed to awaken Amu from her trance, as she nearly let the plate topple out of her hands. Drying the dish quickly, she shot the blond a shifty-eyed look.

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

Rima stared at her, dead-panned, "Don't even try to pretend you don't like him back."

Even if she was considering lying to her best friend, the deep blush on her face called her bluff. Shutting off the water, Amu slowly dried off her hands and sighed, dragging her feet over to the table where Rima sat.

"…I- it just seems too good to be true," she confessed.

"Amu, no decent guy would lie about their feelings," Rima commented, "especially if they were as sincere as Ikuto was. And…he is a decent guy, right?"

Amu nodded silently.

"Then there you go," Rima decided. "I'm sure he was telling the truth. If anything, he's probably now feeling like a rejected bump on a log." She calmly resumed sipping at her coffee, exhaling in content as the mixture of flavors warmed her throat.

She didn't seem to notice Amu's face drop with dread.

"Wh-what do you mean by that?" The pinkette asked quickly. "I didn't reject him!"

Trying not to seem too unimpressed, Rima rolled her eyes over to her friend. "If the person I confessed to fled from the room as quick as possible, I'm sure I'd feel just a tiny bit of rejection, too."

Amu's eyes wandered downcast, staring at Rima's coffee mug. She had only escaped the situation because she had been too flustered to get her thoughts straight. And last night, after many cups of disgusting coffee and no sleep, she was finally able to put her thoughts in order. It was true, she really did like Ikuto. She had a feeling that she had liked him for a while now, just never felt the need to tell him. And if he was telling the truth when he told her that he liked her, then there really shouldn't have been any problem with her coming clean about her feelings also.

Finally finding her voice, she muttered, "What do you think I should do?"

"Talk to him, for starters," Rima replied boredly.

Letting out a loud groan, Amu dropped her head against the table. "I'm so embarrassed," she mumbled against the tabletop.

"You should be."

"Rima, you're supposed to tell me that it's nothing to be embarrassed about!"

"I cannot tell a lie."

Scoffing, Amu glared at her friend. Half the time she wondered where she'd be without Rima and the other half she wondered if she was better at giving herself advice. Either way, it was nice to have the support available whenever she needed it.

Rima stole a glance at the time before she stood up. She had to get to the store before it closed, no matter if Amu was going through a crisis or not. "Isn't it his birthday today?" the blond asked, hoping to help at least a little bit before taking her leave.

Amu followed her out the door, both of them stepping into the elevator.

"Yeah…"

"Then go up to his apartment and wish him a happy birthday," the blond suggested.

If Amu was going to be completely honest, she'd say that she'd rather crawl into a hole and rot. She still hadn't managed to get over the fact that she had basically rejected Ikuto straight to his face. What made matters worse was the fact that it wasn't even the truth.

As the duo stepped out of the elevator, out of habit Amu glanced towards the mail room, nearly jumping out of her skin at the sight of Ikuto just stepping up to his mailbox. His violin case was slung over his shoulder, his back to them.

Amu almost thought she'd be able to slip by unnoticed until the elevator rang out its traditional '_ding!_'

Ikuto glanced up and over his shoulder. Once they made eye-contact, Amu was about ready to sink into the floor from humiliation. He seemed as normal as usual and even nodded at her as a greeting before turning back to his mail.

The two females quickly scampered by, stepping outside the front doors.

"That was him?" Rima guessed with a quirked eyebrow and a sneaky smile. She watched Amu carefully as the pinkette suddenly went quiet and stared down at the ground. "He is _not_ ugly," Rima commented with a low, impressed whistle. She shifted to peer back into the glass doors to catch another look of the unsuspecting boy.

Amu's head snapped up with a frown on her lips, "I never said he was!"

"But you also never said how good looking he was," the blond pointed out with a slight annoyed edge to her voice. "I would have come over more often."

Amu shot Rima an unimpressed look. Good to know she wasn't the only one who found Ikuto unbelievably handsome.

Rima gave her a one-armed, reassuring hug. "Don't worry, I won't take him away from you. That hottie is all yours. So," she drifted off while walking away, "go get him before it's too late."

Blushing at the wink she received, Amu meekly waved as Rima disappeared down to the parking lot to fetch her car. She inhaled the cold December air deeply, letting it fill her nostrils and lungs with icy tingles. She was making this harder than it had to be, she told herself while stepping back inside. She just had to walk up to him and come out with it.

Ikuto was no longer at his mailbox.

Heart dropping, Amu stomped into the elevator, knowing she'd now have to go up to his apartment to talk to him. No matter what, she had to clear things up between them. Regardless that her heart felt like it would fly out her arse at any moment now.

She mentally prepared herself for her confrontation with Ikuto as the elevator doors opened to reveal her floor. First, she would grab some water, maybe some Tylenol, then she'd venture up to see him.

Before the doors could close on her, Amu quickly stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway. Her feet refused to take her any further upon spotting who was waiting for her at her door.

Perhaps if she was lucky she could jump out the window to her left and somersault along the asphalt until she reached her parents house at the other end of the city. He'd never find her that way. Therefore, she wouldn't have to tell him how she felt.

The sight of him made Amu's heart rate naturally increase as she stood, unmoving in the hallway.

He was leaning his back against the wall beside her door with his hands in his pockets, his blue hair falling in front of his face.

Amu commanded herself to pull it together and stepped onwards.

He looked up when she was a few feet away.

His deep, sapphire orbs met hers with ease and she had to remind herself to keep breathing and stay calm.

Offering a bashful smile, Amu slowed to a stop in front of him. "I was just going to go up and wish you a happy birthday," she commented, surprised at his appearance.

To be completely honest, it felt so bizarre seeing him there. However, she was in no way complaining. The sight was definitely something she wouldn't mind getting used to.

Ikuto pushed away from the wall, his hands still comfortably pocketed as he turned his body to face her. He glanced down as he removed one hand. "Well, I had to come thank you for your gift," he told her.

He waved his brand new letter-opener in the air. The one that was his very own.

Amu blushed upon seeing it and confessed, "That was the parcel that took forever to come."

Surprise briefly crossed his features as he turned his gaze towards it. "Why did you have to order it?" he asked. "Can't you get these anywhere?"

"W-well, yeah," Amu admitted, sheepishly. "But that one is identical to mine and believe it or not, it's apparently impossible to find those ones for sale around here."

Ikuto was silent as he watched, amused at her rambling.

Finally, once she had finished spewing any and every word that came to mind, he clarified with a mischievous smirk, "So you got us matching letter-openers?"

His sly tone of voice brought a deeper shade of red across Amu's cheeks. She looked away quickly and folded her arms firmly across her chest.

"Only because you're constantly borrowing mine!" she huffed.

Ikuto feigned a look of hurt, one that was unbelievably adorable and reminded Amu of Yoru whenever he was denied food.

"And here I thought you _purposely_ let me swipe yours all those times," Ikuto sighed.

Amu ignored his teasing and prepared herself for what she'd say next. It was quickly established that she wouldn't be able to get her words out without stumbling over nearly every single one.

"Honestly, I hoped it-it would re-remind you of how we m-met…" her voice grew quiet with every word.

She hoped Ikuto had still managed to understand her because there was no way she could summon the courage to say it again. She dared to sneak a look through her bangs at him. His gaze had softened, his eyes watching her intently. The adorable crease had appeared between his brows.

"I thought…" he drifted off, both of them knowing what he thought. If _she_ had been walked out on after confessing, she would think she had just been rejected, too.

Amu chewed on her lower lip, eyes downcast, and shook her head. "N-no…I was just scared, I guess. I thought it was too good to be true," she admitted sheepishly. She glanced up and found the crease between his brows was still there.

"Have you ever realized," she began while stepping closer, "that you get an adorable crease right here when you over think?" She lifted a hand towards Ikuto's forehead, gently bringing her thumb down to his skin. She tenderly rubbed her thumb against the crease to brush it away.

Ikuto's eyelashes fluttered at the soft contact.

Once his face had relaxed, Amu smiled softly and brushed her fingers against his forehead, moving down to trace his strong jaw line. Letting her hand rest on the side of his face, Amu pushed her fingers through his hair, quietly admiring how handsome he was.

Staring at him now, she was torn between her horrible shyness that urged her to pull away and the inability to resist him any longer. She tugged gently on a few strands of his naturally straight hair. She could feel his eyes on her and didn't dare meet his gaze.

Just as Amu started to pull her hand back, Ikuto reached up and clutched onto it, holding it to his chest as he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers.

Amu's breathing was quick and shallow.

Ikuto leaned down and placed a fluttering kiss across her lips.

Her heart leaped and her stomach flipped, her insides turned to mush and an electric shock sprang from her fingertips and she nearly didn't realize she was strangling Ikuto's shirt in her palm.

She had never felt anything like it. It felt right to be with him, something she never could have said about previous boys.

He slowly drew away from her, Amu still in a daze as she searched his eyes with a pink blush slowly dusting her cheeks.

"…Ha-happy birthday…" she breathed.

They shared a small laugh and the pinkette turned her attention bashfully to the ground.

The distant ringing of a nearby telephone reminded her of what she needed to speak to Ikuto about. Her attention instantly shot up to him with determination and suspicion lacing her vision.

"That reminds me…Tadase hasn't called me at all," she began slowly, watching Ikuto's lips turn upwards in amusement. His eyes danced, knowing something she didn't.

"What did you say to him? Please tell me! I swear I'm going to grow an ulcer if you don't tell me, 'cause I'm freaking out!" Amu pleaded, squeezing both of his hands in hers.

"You really want to know?" His lips pursed and his eyebrow arched, lifting their interlocked hands and resting his chin on them.

Amu slowly narrowed her eyes, stepping up to the challenge, "Yes."

A part of her had the suspicion that he had told Tadase about how she had gotten a new boyfriend. That would be something she could work with, she decided. It was a good enough reason to no longer want any connections to her ex.

Ikuto slowly lowered down so his lips brushed Amu's earlobe, making her skin tingle.

"I told him that you're a lesbian."

It took a moment to register.

Then, all at once, Amu's heart seemed to stop beating and plummeted to her stomach, her shoulders dropping and her eyes widening as her jaw unhinged and fell to the floor in disbelief.

Ikuto stepped away and had to muffle his laughter with his hand.

"You told him what!?" The pinkette exclaimed, hitting him over the head.

She threw insults his direction while flailing her arms in the air, her face growing red in embarrassment. Of all the things he could have said to Tadase, it had to be _that_!? Surely Ikuto was more creative. Then again, he always did enjoy tormenting her.

Finally, Amu scowled, her rant diminishing slightly as she glared at Ikuto.

He pushed his hand through her pink hair to purposely mess it up. He pursed his lips to hide a smile and slipped a key out of his pocket to unlock the door to her apartment while she went off again on an insulting rampage while flattening her hair.

Amu stopped mid-insult, her hands frozen on the top of her head. She looked from her opened door to Ikuto. Her golden eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"…Do you still have my spare key?"

He simply slipped the key back into his pocket and gave her a mischievous wink before flicking her nose with his finger, "You won't be needing it anytime soon," he promised before heading off towards the elevator.

Amu spun around, one hand rubbing her nose. She watched his tall, retreating figure with a slow smile spreading across her blushing face.

She didn't know when it happened. But somewhere along the way, he had slipped into her life and taken up a place in her heart whether she wanted him to or not. And, if she was being completely honest with herself, she didn't want him to leave that place anytime soon. Something told her that he didn't have plans to leave, either.

Smiling down at her shoes, Amu bit her lip to hold back an embarrassingly wide grin.

It was hard to believe this had all begun with a letter-opener and a bit of mail room palaver.

_The End_

_**Author's note: Thank you for sticking with me! This was a fun little story to write! It's amazing how such a simple plot can actually go places. But it's definitely the characters that help stories go where you never imagined they would. I hope you enjoyed and I do so hope that I didn't leave any questions left unanswered. As for Tadase, I'm sure if Amu desperately wanted to prove to him that she wasn't a lesbian, she'd just have to call over Ikuto and have a good smooch right in front of him. Ehehe. Take care!**  
_


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